BM a Muslim, I'm not, need help with attire

I am not a Muslim (loosely Christian but open to everything) but one of my very best friends is and I want her to be a bridesmaid (or really, matron). She’s the one who will help my mom with the shower and she is bringing some Iraqi desserts to the wedding (my FI is going to love that-he’s met her and thinks she’s a great friend to me and loves trying her food). However, I have something I want to get her and I need some help.

She wears a hijab. I want to buy her a hijab for the wedding as her BM present. Are there any places where I could buy I beautiful, dark red-purple one?

osprey1108: Are you able to contact her mother or a female sibling or relative? They might be able to help you. Alternatively use google to find a store in your area and go in and ask for help just like you would if you were searching for anything else for your wedding.

A lot of it will depend on which style of hijab she uses, and how she ties it. There are a lot of different styles, and each one lends itself better to a different type and style of fabric.

I’m not a Muslim either, but I know a little about hijabs. When I have to wear one, I tie it tight to my head and use it to create a bun with my hair. That way it keeps you nice and cool because your hair is away from your neck, and it makes it less likely that you will get those annoying wispy bits of hair that poke out at the sides. If she uses the “bun” style, any large scarf like a pashmina in a soft fabric should do the trick. These have the advantage that they can be dyed in a variety of colours.

If, on the other hand, she prefers the style I associate with Malaysia, with a sort of hard elasticky bit on the forehead and a hanging “shower curtain” style bit at the back, you have to buy those at a specialist store. I really hate those ones. They always seem to be in this nasty synthetic fabric which makes you sweat like crazy. Looking at photos of Iraqi women online, some of them seem to use this style. However, it looks like some of them use two head coverings… a tight covering which pins their hair to their head, and then a loose scarf over the top. If this is how your friend wears hers, no doubt she will provide the underscarf. In that case, you would only have to provide the loose top scarf. That makes it a lot simpler! In that case, I’m pretty sure that any large scarf in an appropriate colour (and not too thick a fabric) would do the trick. I prefer square or rectangular scarves, but I know that some people use triangular ones. Either way, you’re probably safer with a square because a square can also be folded in half to make a triangle, if she prefers it that way.

I definitely think get her mother or sister’s perspective of this. I am not muslim, but grew up with many young girls who were as my grandma was heavily involved with assisting several refuge families and befriended them. When they first had to start wearing the hijab or burqa (whichever one according to their families beliefs) it was very personal to them, much more than just a head decoration. I would definitely never feel comfortable selecting one for them without insight.